The issue of racial division, never far from the surface of American political discourse, has flared up again after US President Donald Trump suggested four Democratic congresswomen, three of whom were born in the United States, go back to the countries they came from.
Trump's comments were quickly pounced on by his political opponents and many in the media, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planning a censure vote on the Republican president in the House of Representatives, which the Democrats control.
Trump did not identify the lawmakers by name in the Twitter posts on Sunday, but he appeared to be referring to progressive representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who is of Puerto Rican descent; Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, an African-American woman who grew up in Chicago; Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, daughter of Palestinian immigrants; and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who came to the US in 1992 as a refugee from Somalia.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said the four lawmakers belonged in the United States. "This is their country," he told reporters.
All four congresswomen have been critical of Trump, as well as of the current Democratic leadership in the House. Shortly after her swearing-in on Jan 3, Tlaib said of Trump that she wanted to "impeach the mother------".
In a series of three tweets on Sunday, Trump wrote: "So interesting to see 'Progressive' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly......and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done. These places need your help badly, you can't leave fast enough. I'm sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!"
Speaking outside the White House on Monday, Trump didn't budge on his position: "If you're not happy in the US, if you're complaining all the time, very simply: You can leave," he said.
Trump said he was not concerned if the remarks were construed as racist.
"It doesn't concern me because many people agree with me," he said. "A lot of people love it, by the way."
In a tweet Monday afternoon, Trump wrote: "The Dems were trying to distance themselves from the four 'progressives,' but now they are forced to embrace them. That means they are endorsing Socialism, hate of Israel and the USA! Not good for the Democrats!"
"Weak minds and leaders challenge loyalty to our country in order to avoid challenging and debating the policy," Ocasio-Cortez said at a news conference the four congresswomen held on Monday.
"This is the agenda of white nationalists, whether it is happening in chat rooms, or it's happening on national TV, and now it's reached the White House garden," Omar said.
Tlaib and Omar also repeated their calls for Trump to be impeached.
"When @realDonaldTrump tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to 'Make America Great Again' has always been about making America white again," Pelosi replied to Trump on Twitter on Sunday.
In response, Trump later said: "That's a very racist statement. I'm surprised she'd say that."
Texas Representative Will Hurd, the only African-American Republican in the House, called the attacks racist on CNN.
Tim Scott, the Senate's only black Republican, called them "racially offensive" on Twitter.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday that he didn't find Trump's comments to be racist.
"The president just went on and clarified his comments. I think he speaks for himself on that and he was very clear," Mnuchin said.
Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, the party's 2012 presidential nominee, said the comments were "destructive, demeaning, and disunifying".
Trump's tweets followed days of tension between Pelosi and progressive caucus members as they seek to build on their 2018 midterm victories.
Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote on Monday that Trump "has once again achieved the impossible. He has unified the Democrats."
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called the four congresswomen "communist" and "anti-Semitic" on Fox News on Monday, but he also called on Trump to stop making such personal attacks.
"Aim higher. ... Take on their policies. The bottom line here is this is a diverse country," he said, adding that he had spoken to Trump.
Reuters contributed to this story.
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